Residents have to pay A$1 to flush the toilet. Photo / Supplied
Residents have to pay A$1 to flush the toilet. Photo / Supplied
A Melbourne landlord has been blasted online after a tenant revealed he had installed a coin-operated toilet in the house, requiring the tenants to pay per flush.
The stingy landlord and owner of an apartment property in Thornbury has reportedly equipped the toilet with a mechanism that means residents have to pay A$1 ($1.04) to flush the dunny.
Unsure about the legality of such a contraption, the tenant posted the story on forum-based social media website reddit to ask the community if the landlord was allowed to do this.
Unsure about the legality of a coin-operated toilet, the tenant posted the story on reddit. Photo / Supplied
"I understand in our laundry having to pay for the communal washing machine. But I pay the water bill that goes into my apartment," the tenant wrote. "[The landlord] said it was a government incentive to save water. But then why does he get to collect the money?"
The tenant said it makes it very awkward to entertain guests.
"The worst thing is not having any dollar coins on hand. Especially when I have guests over. It's really embarrassing and gross for them."
Such is the ridiculousness of the coin-operated toilet that the post was initially removed because reddit moderators on the Melbourne subreddit didn't believe the story was true. But the tenant has since posted proof of the situation by sharing a picture of the toilet and the post has been republished.
Plenty of reddit users condemned the landlord's actions, suggesting it was illegal for him to charge tenants for using the toilet.
"This guy is ripping you off in a most heinous way," wrote another.
The tenant said they have now sought legal advice over the issue.
"At least with the help of others I have been using tips and also a lawyer has sent me her details to help me out with the legal side of things. So I'm glad I made this post," they wrote.
